The last half of the 16-century and the beginning of the 17-century are known as the Golden Age of English literature. It was the time of the English Renaissance and sometimes it is even called “The age of Shakespeare”.

William Shakespeare, the greatest and the most famous of English writers and probably the greatest playwright, who has ever lived, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. In spite of his fame, we know very little about his life. The things that we know about Shakespeare’s life begin with the date, where he was baptised in the church of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, when he was only few days old. So he believed he was born on the 23 of April 1564.

His parents were John and Mary Shakespeare. His mother was the daughter of a farmer. His father was a glove-maker.

In the 16 century Stratford-upon-Avon was a commercial town, surrounded by rich farmlands. Its markets attracted people from miles around. The names of some streets tell us today what was made or sold in these streets, for example Sheep street, or Wood street. John Shakespeare came to Stratford to find his fortune. With the money he made he bought a house on Henley Street. He also married well. His wife came from rather rich family.

William went to a grammar school in Stratford and had quite good education. There he learned to love reading. While still a teenager, William married Anne Hathaway, a farmer’s daughter some years older than himself. During some years

his three children were born: Susannah, the eldest, then two twins – a son, Hamnet and another girl, Judith.

In 1587 Shakespeare went to work in London, leaving Anne and the children at home. We don’t know exactly why he did it. Some people that the reason was his love of poetry and theater. But there is another story, which says that he had run away from law because he killed some deer belonging to a rich man.

In London Shakespeare began Shakespeare to act and to write plays and soon became an important member of a well-known acting company. Most of his plays were performed in the new Globe Theater built on the bank of the River Themes. 

Shakespeare’s experience as an actor helped him greatly in the writing of his plays. Shakespeare wrote 37 plays. Among them there are deep tragedies such as “Hamlet”, “Othello”, “King Lear”, “Macbeth”, “Romeo and Juliet”, light comedies, such as “The comedy of errors”, “As you like it”, historical dramas such as “Henry 4”, “Richard 3”. Most of Shakespeare’s plays were not published

during his lifetime. In 1613 he stopped writing and went to live in Stratford where he died on 23 April 1616. It’s interesting that he died on his birthday.

Four hundred years later his plays are still acted – not only in England, but also in the whole world.          

Автор проекта: Богомолов Федор